Man accused of setting fatal fire indicted

Published 5:30 am, Wednesday, May 12, 2004

A second man accused of deliberately setting a house fire that killed a man last month has been indicted by a Harris County grand jury.

Joe Kindelan, 20, of the 7200 block of Bellerive, is charged with arson, a first-degree felony.

Kindelan and Ibrahim Mustapha Ayoub, 20, of the 7500 block of Bellaire, are accused of setting fire to the home of Jesus Gonzalez in the 7100 block of Walkway on April 9. Ayoub also is charged with arson and with making a terroristic threat for allegedly threatening to kill Gonzalez two days before the fire.

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Arson investigators refuse to discuss the motive for the fire, but believe Ayoub paid Kindelan and Naser to set the blaze, said Chief Robert Kent of HFD's south arson bureau. Kindelan was later found at a local hospital with first- and second-degree burns to his body.

Kindelan told investigators he and Naser drove to the Renoush Arabian Cafe, where he claimed Ayoub offered Naser $1,000 to burn the home, arson investigators allege. Kindelan and Naser then drove to a Diamond Shamrock to purchase a lighter and fill up a gasoline container before going to the home, a criminal complaint shows.

Naser poured gasoline throughout the house and when Kindelan began to walk out, the room burst into flames, injuring both of them, Kindelan told investigators. Kindelan reported he ran from the house, but did not hear or see Naser follow him. Naser died of smoke inhalation.